Package carrier



P61124, 1931. LE ROY ASKAM 1,793,729

PACKAGE CARRIER Filed July 12, 1929 1N VENTOR.

ATTORNEYS. 'Y

Patented Feb. 24, 1931 UNITED STATES` LE ROY nsKAM, or MILroRD, CONNECTICUT PACKAGE Application led July 12,

My invention relates to means for delivering parkages, such as mail pouches and the like, from airplanes while traveling through the air.

The object of the invention is to provide a receptacle for containing such packages, having attached means whereby the speed of descent can be checked and regulated so that the carrier will land lightly upon the ground without injuring it or the packages I contained therein; to further provide a carrier of the class specified which can be closed up to occupy comparatively little space While contained in a flying machine and will automatically open as it is thrown overboard and starts to, descend. The invention further contemplates the use in connection therewith of a parachute structure adapted to be normally contained within the carrier and automatically released and opened as it leaves the airplane. Y

Vith these and other objects in view, the invention resides and consists in the con! struction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims `hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size, 'and minor details of construction within the scope of the claims may be resorted to Without departure from thev spirit, or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Similar characters of reference denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and upon which Fig. 1 shows an elevational perspective view of the closed carrier as it would appear when loaded. with parcels preparatory to being transported in an airplane, not shown; Fig." 2 is a central' vertical longitudinal section of-the carrier shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 shows perspective view of the carrier'with its parachute opened as in descending from an airplane to the ground.

The carrier as will be seen is of an elongated bag-like structure designed to be made in part of a metal frame which is cove-red by CARRIER i929. serien Ne. 377,719.

heavy canvas, leather or other suitable material and is preferably of cylindrical form and divided into an upper and lower compartment, one serving for packages to be -delivered, and the other for the reception of a para-chute and its connected gear to which the carrier proper is attached.

Referring in detail to the characters of reference marked upon the drawing, 5 represents the frame as contained in the upper part of the carrier 6. This frame is preferably made of sheet metal and covered with canvas 7 which, as applied, forms an upperv tubular compartment 8 that is partitioned from the lower receptacle 9 by means of` a floor section l10. The upper part of thisI fioor is padded asat 11 to better protect carrier and packages contained therein, when striking the ground. The lower receptacle is also provided with a padded bottom which is formedby providing suitable wadding 12 intermediate of the inner and outer sections 18 and 14 between which said wadding is packed. An opening y15 is provided 4in the side wall of the lower receptacle and adapt-V ed to be opened and closed by any suitable means, as for instance, a zipper 16 as shown in the drawing. By means of this opening access may be mail pouches or other transportable packages therein, or being understood, of course, ages would lay upon the bottom, providing of the carrier.

, The carrier is further provided with openvthat such packthereby the heavier load in the bottom end had .to the receptacle to place to remove them therefrom, it

ings 17 through the annular side walls of its meta-l frame which are provided with outwardly and downwardly projected shields 18 that are positioned to take in a flowof air las thecarrier descends and directing the same up through the upper compartment and under the parachute 19 in a .manner to insure the opening of the parachute after being removed and'further to afford 1ncreased resistance of the downwardtravel of the parachute and carrier.

The parachute 19 wouldobviously be made of light fabric adapted to be folded together andpacked in the upper compartment and' also quickly removable. The upper end portion of a suitable number of ropes 20 are attached to the annular lower edge portion of the parachute 19 while the other end of the ropes 20 are brought together. in pairs and connected to one end of al spring 21 whose other ends are secured to the upper annular edge portion of the carrier.

A covermembcr 22 is secured to the top of the parachute through the medium of aring 23; this cover while made of fabric includes an annular seained portion 24: in which an elastic 25 may be placed to insure the engagement of the cover with the receptacle whenl the parachute is stuffed in the upper compartment, as shown in Fig. 2. In thisgure the cover is shown covering the top endl of upper compartment and its edge drawn down over the outer peripheral surface in a. way to inclose the compartment and parachute inclosed therein. The ring also serves as a temporary supporting means when the carrier is thrown over from an airplane, in which case, one end of a short line may he attached to the ring in any suitable way and the other end held by the operator so that as the carrierV descends the length of the rope, the cover would be pulled ott', the parachute drawn out to its full length, whereupon it would immediately open. At this point the rope could be released either at the hand of the operator or from the ring as by means of a suitable form of catch, not shown;y

Having thus described my invention, what parachute attached beneath the cover,"v and ropes one end of which are connected to the parachute and the other to the carrier.

4. A package carrier of the class described, comprising an elongated bag-like carrier having a compartment whose top end is open to receive a folded parachute, a cover for said open end, means for securingthe cover over the end of the receptacle, a parachute attached beneath the cover, and ropes one end ofwhich are connected to the para-4 chute and the other to the carrier.

Signed at Milford, in thecounty of New Haven and State of Connecticut, this 9 day of July, A. D. 1929.

LE ROY ASKAM.

I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A package carrier of the class described, eomprisingan elongated bag-like carrier hav- Aing' a separate compartment in its two end portions, one compartment having apmetal yframe and openings therethrough, down- .wardly and outwardly projected shields surrounding said openings, a cover for the compartment, a parachute attached to the cover, ropes connected to the parachute, and springs intermediate said ropes and carrier.

2. A package carrier of the class described, comprising an elongated bag-like carrier having a separate compartment in its two end portions, one compartment having openings therethrough, downwardly and outwardly projected shields surrounding said openings, a cover for the compartment, a parachute attached to the cover, ropes connected to the parachute, springs intermediate said ropes and carrier, a closable opening in the lower compartment, and cushion means formed in the ends of one of said compartments. 4 l j 3. A package carrier of the class described, comprising an elongated bag-like vcarrier having a compartment whose top end is open to receive a folded parachute, a cover for said open end of` the compartment, a 

